Hammouchi encouraged police to embrace an even greater commitment and sacrifice to serve the public interest and stem the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rabat – The Director-General of the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) and the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST), Abdellatif Hammouchi, has addressed his fellow police officers to commemorate the 64th anniversary of DGSN’s founding, which falls on May 16.
In his directive distributed to all departments of the DGSN, Hammouchi said that “the commemoration of DGSN’s anniversary comes in a special time context, marked by the comprehensive mobilization to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Hammouchi added that the DGSN family “is challenged by the commitment to the utmost vigilance and preparedness to ensure the health security of citizens on the one hand, and maintenance of the pillars of public order and the preservation of the safety of persons and property on the other hand.”
Traditionally, the DGSN organized yearly celebrations for its anniversary. This year, the directorate canceled the festivities following the outbreak of COVID-19 in Morocco.
Commenting on the matter, the DGSN chief said that canceling all aspects of the festivities came in the context of prioritizing public safety and complying with the preventative measures prescribed to prevent the spread of the pandemic.
Faced with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, Hammouchi called on his fellow police officers for “greater sacrifice, dedication, and selflessness to continue the proper and vigorous application of the law, and to contribute effectively to the public effort to stem the COVID-19 pandemic.” He also called for officers to respect human rights when performing duties.
Read also: Morocco’s DGSN Rejects Reporters Without Borders’ ‘False Allegations’
Commending and appreciating the great sacrifices and commendable endeavors of the police in the face of COVID-19, the DGSN’s director-general stressed that “the security institution’s raison d’etre is mainly for the service of homeland and citizen security issues alike.”
On April 15, the DGSN published a statement announcing the cancelation of both the celebration of its 64th anniversary and its fourth annual open days, due to the propagation of the novel coronavirus in Morocco.